Indicator.



v. G. APPLE & G. B. SA'YR B.

INDICATOR. APPLIQATION PILED OCT. 6, 1913.

1,100,341, Patented June 16,1914.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

-za a s gage/Z5725" V. G. APPLE & G. B. SAYRE. INDICATOR.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 6, 1913.

1,100,341, Patented June 1 6,1914.

. 2 SHEETS.SHEBT 2.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

VINCENT G. APPLE AND GORDON B. SAYRE, OF DAYTON, OHIO, ASSIGNORS TO THE APPLE ELECTRIC COMPANY, OF DAYTON, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO.

INDICATOR.

Application filed October 6, 1913.

To all echo-m it may concern Be it known that we, VINCENT G. APPLE and Gounoiv B. Saran, citizens of the United States, all residing at Dayton, in the county of Montgomery and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Indicators, of which the following is'a specification.

One of the objects of our invent-ion is to provide an indicator having conspicuous, changeable indicia on its face, the significance of which is effected by a relatively small movement of an indicator-operable means.

Another and more specific object of our invention is to'provide a combined indicator and electric switch whereby to conspicuously indicate, in readable words, the position of the concealed switch moving parts; the condition of the switch, or circuit, effected by such movement, or other information by movement of one or more letters, or parts thereof, to constitute a'word, that may be displayed, by the operation of saidswitch, on the face of the indicator.

Other and further objects of our invention will become readily apparent, to persons skilled in the art, from a consideration of the following description, when taken in con junction with the drawings, wherein;

Figure l is a front view of the indicator and switch-containing casing, showing the word ON in relatively large letters, displayed on the front of the casing. Fig. 2 is a similar view, showing the word OFF significant of a different condition, effected by movement of a switch part. Fig. 3 is a transverse section, taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 2. Fig. 1} is a similar section, taken on line 4-4 of Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a longitudinal section, taken on line 5 5' looking in the direction of the upper arrow, of Fig. 3. Fig. 6 is a similar section, taken on line (3-6 of Fig. 5. Fig. 7 is a section, taken on line 55 of Fig. 3, looking in the direction of the lower,

or bottom arrow. Fig. 8 is a diagram of electric circuits with which the device ma be advantageouslyassociated.

In. all the views the same reference characters indicate similar parts.

The movement of switch moving parts, or the eleetro-responsive'element of electromagnets, such as the armature thereof, is usually confined to rather narrow limits, the

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 16, 1914.

Serial No. 793,526.

permissible excursion of such movement being not sufficient to properly effect the display of a relatively large and conspicuous indication, of an indicator, without the use of gearing complication,v or the abnormalinultiplieatlon of levers, with the objections attending such extended movements.

Our invention contemplates the use of relatively large letters, to constitute a word,

or readable words, to be displayed on the face of the indicator, when the indicator moving means is moved in a given direction, and means for shifting a part, or parts, of one or more of said letters,to constitute another, or different word when said moving means is shifted in the reverse direction.

An exemplification of one use for our invention may be found in the lighting circuits of an automobile, boat, or the like, wherein the main line circuit, containing the translating devices, such as electric lamps and the like, is to be supplied with current jointly by a dynamo-electric machine and a storage battery. It is well to cut the battery into circuit only after the armaturehas attained a predetermined voltage, whereupon, in our apparatus, an automatically operable circuit closing switch moves suitable switchsignifying that the battery is on the opera tive circuit. 'When the armature of the automatic switch-moving electro-magnet is re stored to its normal position, as when the armature of the dynamo ceases to rotate, and the circuit is opened the announcement is then changed to OFF, which signifies that the battery is now off or that the main circuit is open.

To preserve the effect of positive opera tion of the switch moving part; wherein.an electroi'nagnet is employed to produce such movement, the limit of movement must necessarily be small and therefore the peculiar arrangement of our indicating means permits us to combine, with such small moving parts, large and very conspicuous indications, and to preserve the relatively small compass of the switching and indicating de vice, limited to the size of the switch casing.

Ne have shown, in the accompanying drawings, one means for carrying our inmovable from the base 11. Secured to the flanges 12, that surround the open end of the casing, is an index box 13, having a bottom 14 and a parallel, spaced-apart metal face plate 15, that is located behind a glass plate 16. On the plate 15,.is painted, or

-'otherwise applied thereto, the letters, or

parts of letters, to constitute the word, or words, to be displayed on the front of the casing. In this particular instance the letter 0, indicated by the reference character 17 remains unchanged because it appears in each of the words ON and OFF.

' The plate 14 is perforated, as at 1818 and 1919 to provide slots for forming the letters F, F with each of the two parallel, vertical lines 20-20. These two lines. also remain unchanged, as they are each a component part of the letters F, F and together they are component parts of the'letter N. The plate 14, is obliquely perforated, as at 21 to provide a slot for forming the letter N in conjunction with the two vertical lines 2020, as when the perforations 18-18 and 1919 are not provided with black back grounds. If the slots 18-48 and 19-19 are open, or are each provided with a white back ground, and the oblique slot 21 is provided with a black back ground, the combination will make the letter N, as shown in Fig. l, but if the slots 1818 and 1919A are provided with black back grounds and the oblique slot 21 is provided with a white back ground the combination will make the two letters F, F. In one instance the letters on the front of the indicator will read ON and in the other instance the letters will read OFF The component parts which form the incomplete letters in' the instance cited, move obliquely with reference to the vertical portions of the letter, and these parts we will now describe. Located between the plates 14 and 15, which plates are spaced apart for the purpose, is a movable or sliding plate 22, shown in dotted lines in Figs. 1, 2 and 7. This plate has painted upon its fr bnt face the black portions necessary to provide the required parts for the incompleted letters when the plate is shifted, as indicated by dotted lines, and shown by reference characters 18 19, and 21 respectively. The

remaining ortion, of the face of the ob liquely shi table plate 22 is painted white, to correspond with the white face plate 15. Secured to the plate 22 is a pin 23 havin an enlarged head 23'. A lever 24 is pivoted, as at 25, and extends therebeyond to form a short lever 26, having a loop, or'slotted portion for engagement with the pin 27. The extended end of the lever 24, also provides a slot, by means of a loop 28. This loop ongages the pin 23 that is connected to the obliquely slidable plate 22. The plate is guided by means of a rearward projection which extends through an oblique slot in the plate 14. The pin 27, is placed in the loop 26 of the lever, and when the armature 30, of the electromagnet, is energized, it moves the pin 27 and thereby operates the obliquely placed'plate 22.

The armature 30, of the switch moving elcctromagnet, carries a switch blade 31, and is pivoted to the clectromagnet core, as at 32. When the armature 30 is attracted by the energized electromagnet 33, the pin 27, which engages the slotted end 26, of the lever 24, moves the said lever and therefore the plate 22, so that the oblique black line 21, on the plate 22, is shifted to a position immediately under the oblique slot 21 and at the same time the black portions 18 and 19 of the letters F, F are shifted from under the slots 18-18 and 1919 thereby converting the word OFF to ON and indicating that the circuit is closed between the dynamo and storage battery. The armature 30, of the electromagnet, is held in this osition during the time that the circuit is c osed and the word ON during that period of time, will appear upon the indicator face, but just as soon as the circuit is open and the armature of the electromagnet is retracted, by a means to be hereafter described, the obliquely shiftableplate 22 is moved back to its original position by the spring that retracts the armature, converting the word ON into the word OFF in the manner heretofore described, indicating that the circuit is now open and that the storage battery is not connected-with the dynamo electric machine. Thus parts of letters may be transposed or entire letters substituted in a word or words. A spring 34 is secured to one end of the magnet core 33, as by a screw 35. This spring resiliently holds the armature of the elctromagnet in its retracted position, and thereby normally maintains the circuit open.

The cooperatin electric switch blade 36, consists of a U s aped plate, for insertion of the switch blade 31 that is carried by the armature 30, so that when the armature is attracted, the blade 31 enters the space between the two legs of the U-shaped plate and closes the electric circuit. The armature 30 is connected by a wire 39, to the body of the core, as by means of a screw 40, and with the pivoted armature 30, as at 41, so that the loose joint, as at 32, will not interpose a variable resistance in the dynamo circuit.

The connecting screws 42, 43, and 44 constitule terminals of the electromagnetic switch. The terminal 42 is connected to the, switch blade by means of a wire 45, and it is con necled to the storage battery 47, by means of a wire 46. The other, or negative terminal of lhe battery 47, is connected to the negative terminal of the dynamo 48, by means of a wire 49. The positive terminal of the dyname is connected to the terminal e4 of the switch, by means of a wire 50, thus compieting the circuit through the dynamo storage battery and through the series coil of the switch magnet, in series relation, when the circuit controlled thereby is closed.

A high resistance coii 51 is wound on the core 33 of the magnet in such direction that the current therein will augment the mag netic effect produced by the coil 37. The high resistance magnet coil .51 is connected to a contact piece 52 and the other terminal is connected, as at 53, to a wire 5i that is connected in turn to the terminal 43, of the switch device, and this terminal 43, is connected to the wire 49, by means of a wire 55.

The translating devices 56 such as electric lamps, and the like, are connected in paral lel relation between the terminals 42 and 43 of the device on main line wires 57 and 58, so that these devices are always in parallel circuit with the battery, whether the circuit varied by the operation of the electro-mag netic device, is open or closed. A non-induc-' tive relatively high resistance coil 59 is connected in parallel with the high resistance coil 51, one terminal of the coil 59 being connected to the contact 52, the other terminal being connected, by wire 60, to the contact point 53. I

61 is the winding of the shunt field magnet of a constant potential dynamo electric machine.

A resilient tongue 62 is carried by and is connected to the armature 30, by means of the screw 41 and has limited yielding movement toward and from the armature, the extent of whiclrmovement is varied by adjustment of the screw 63, the screw passing through a relatively large hole made in the tongue 62, The end of the tongue bears with some force upon the contact 52 and permits independent movement of the armature 80, sufficient for the blade 31 to make contact with the coiiperating switch blades 36 before the end of the tongue 62 leaves the contact 52, thereby holding the coil 51 in circuit after the switch has been closed and the coil 87, which is in series with the dynamo-electric machine, has been introduced into the circuit, by the closing of the switch. A further movement of the armature 30, however, servesto break contact/between the tongue 62 and the contact piece 52 and open the circuitthrough the coil 51. The noninductive resistance coil 59 being in shunt with the coil 51, and also having its circuit opened with reference to the main circuit takes the kick that might be produced by breaking the circuit of the coil 51 and thereby prevents sparking at the contact connection of the tongue 62, and the contact piece 52, when the circuitbetween these partshas been opened.

Now when a device, such as that which we have just described, is used in connection with an automobile and the casing exhibiting on its front the indicating letters, or words, is placed in such position as to be plainly visible to the driver or chauffeur, of such machine, he can see at a glance, by the relatively large words exhibited on the front of the indicator, whether or not the storage battery and the dynamo are connected to gether, or whether the circuit between these two sources of electric current has been opened and therefore he is enabled to ascertain at a glance whether the dynamo is chai-ging the storage battery or whether the storage battery is aii-ording all of the current that is necessary to supply the translating devices associated with the circuit.

While we have herein shown and described a single embodiment of our invention, for the purpose of clear disclosure, it is evident that changes may be made in the specific form and organization of the parts, within the scope of the appended claims.

Having described our invention, what we claim is 1. In a device of the character described, an indicator comprising two relatively movable parts, one bearing permanent character-fragments common to a plurality of different characters and having therein openings adjacent said character-fragments for display of the supplemental fragments of the diiierent characters, and the other part bearing a plurality of sets of supplemental character-fragnients respectively positioned for display through said openings in different positions of relative movement of said parts, whereby movement of the. parts changes the display of characters, based on said permanent character-fragments.

2. In a device of the character described,

an indicator bearing changeable letter parts,

comprising two relatively movable parts, one bearing permanent letter-fragments common to a plurality of different letters and having'thcrein openings adjacent said letter-fragments for display of the supplemental fragments of the diflerent letters and the other part bearinga plurality of sets of supplemental letter-fragments respectively positioned for display through said openings in different position of relative movement of said parts whereby movement of the parts in different directions changes the display letters to form different words, based on said permanent letter fragments.

3. In a device of the character described, an indicator, comprising two relatively movable parts, one bearing permanent character-fragments common to a plurality of difierent characters and having therein openings adjacent said character-fragments bearing a plurality of sets of supplemental character-fragments respectively positioned for display through said openings, in different positions of relative movement of said parts, and means for moving one of said parts to displace said fragments in any suitable direction With reference to a; vertical plane of the permanent fragments.

4. In a device of the character described,

an indicator comprising two relatively tion with reference to the permanent fragments.

5. A device of the character described, comprising two relatively movable parts, one bearing the letter O and fragments common to the letters -N and F, F and having therein openings adjacent said letter-fragments through which to exhibit supplemental fragments of said letters N and F, F and the other part bearing a plurality of supple- ;nental fragments respectively positioned for display through said openings to constitute with the letter O the Word OFF and when moved to constitute the Word ON and an electro-magnet for effecting said movement.

In testimony whereof We hereunto set our hands.

VINCENT G. APPLE. GORDON B. SAYRE. In the presence of FOWLER S. SMITH, Fomin BAIN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

